(TORONTO, ON) – As Canadians continue to recognize Mental Illness Awareness Week, the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) is deeply disappointed by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board’s (WSIB) policy decision to use “predominate cause” for mental stress claims rather than the “significant contribution” test. “This decision appears to be in direct contravention of the…
(TORONTO, ON) – The Ontario Federation of Labour congratulates Jagmeet Singh on winning the leadership of the New Democratic Party (NDP) in the leadership vote on October 1. As the first person of colour to lead a federal political party, Singh has made history. “The first-ballot election of Jagmeet Singh shows he has the party…
This October 1-7, we recognize Mental Illness Awareness Week across Canada and rise in solidarity with our many Ontario sisters and brothers who live with the debilitating reality of mental illness every day. In any given week, at least 500,000 employed Canadians are unable to work due to mental health challenges, with the stigma associated with…
(Toronto) – On September 2, 2016, 23-year old Amina Diaby, a temp agency worker who had been on the job just two weeks, was killed at the Fiera Foods plant in Toronto. The OFL’s Kill a Worker, Go to Jail campaign confirmed that this was the third worker death at that location. The OFL calls…
(TORONTO, ON) – The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) is raising serious concerns over the staying of charges in the deadly stage collapse at the Downsview Radiohead concert. “We are shocked and saddened with the decision to stay the charges,” said Chris Buckley, President of the Ontario Federation of Labour. “Our judicial system failed the…
From the person who lets you into the parkade, to the person who wrote the headline above this article, to the students who are working to pay for their schooling, workers in this province depend on the Labour and Employment laws to set the bar for fair treatment in the workplace. Those laws are outdated.…
(TORONTO, ON) – The Ontario Federation of Labour is raising serious concern about the validity of the assertions in the Keep Ontario Working (KOW) coalition’s commissioned economic impact analysis of Bill 148, conducted by the Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis (CANCEA). “The assertions released today by the corporate lobby is inaccurate, incomplete and just not…
(TORONTO, ON) – The Ontario Federation of Labour welcomes the proposal for amendments to Bill 148 announced today by the Ontario New Democratic Party. “If enacted, these amendments would strengthen the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act and deliver greater fairness to workplaces across the province,” said Ontario Federation of Labour President Chris Buckley. “There’s no…
(TORONTO, ON) – The government has an opportunity to provide decent work for generations to come through Bill 148. The Bill makes some significant changes, including raising the minimum wage to $15 in 2019, that will advance the cause of decent work. However, with a few amendments, the bill could safeguard decent work for future…
Canadian Labour Leaders urge Premiers to recommit to establishing a single-payer, universal prescription drug plan in Canada (EDMONTON, ALBERTA) – Meeting in Alberta for events concurrent to the Council of the Federation, Labour Leaders from across Canada urge provincial and territorial Premiers to lobby the federal government for a national Pharmacare plan to ensure all…
(TORONTO, ON) – The Ontario Federation of Labour and Fight for $15 and Fairness will present urgently needed changes to Bill 148 at a press conference at Queen’s Park on Friday, July 21. “The $15 minimum wage by 2019 must not be delayed,” said OFL President Chris Buckley. “Ontario’s government must also create the conditions…
To download the Nomination information click here. Bob Borch Human Rights Award Cliff Pilkey Labour Activist Award Olivia Chow Child Care Champion Award OFL Cultural Award Linda Jolley Lifetime Achievement Award for Health and Safety OFL Young Workers’ Award Prevention Link’s Disability Prevention Activist Award Deadline for Nominations: October 15, 2017 The Ontario Federation of…
(TORONTO, ON) – Ontario Federation of Labour and local labour councils are holding a series of solidarity breakfasts across Ontario to celebrate the province-wide effort to improve the lives of working people. “I encourage everyone to attend these solidarity breakfasts. It is essential that workers make themselves heard at hearings on Bill 148, to ensure…
We, the undersigned economists, support the decision to increase the minimum wage in Ontario to $15 an hour. Raising the wage floor makes good economic sense. Today, Ontario’s minimum wage is $11.40 per hour. Adjusted for inflation, this is barely one dollar higher than its value in 1977. Yet over the same four decades, the…
The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) is pleased to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day, June 21, and pledge to work for Truth and Reconciliation. Today is an important day to recognize the many contributions of the Indigenous Peoples of this land and is an occasion to reflect on the many challenges Indigenous Peoples still face. The…
(TORONTO, ON) – The OFL supports the call by the Ontario Health Coalition for better regulation and enforcement of the Canada Health Act to prevent the charging of user fees across Canada. A recent survey conducted by the Ontario Health Coalition, showed that 88 clinics across Canada are charging unlawful user fees. “Privatization in health…
The OFL mourns the passing of Brother Stan Raper, who died June 5. A staunch labour and farm worker advocate who worked on behalf of domestic and migrant agriculture workers for more than two decades, Raper was born in Fort Frances, Ontario in 1961. As a teenager and high school student, he learned first-hand about…
To download the listing of 2017 Pride Events click here. Signs of union pride are extremely important for smaller towns and communities across Ontario. Lesbian, Gay Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQI*) identified workers and their families are very often invisible or, if out, at serious risk of harassment in their workplaces and their communities. Labour…
(TORONTO, ON) – Following today’s announcement on childcare, the OFL is calling on the government to ensure public funding for all childcare spaces in Ontario. “There’s no doubt that creating a system of affordable childcare requires public investment,” said OFL President Chris Buckley. “Families across this province are struggling to make ends meet. Affordable childcare,…
(TORONTO, ON) – Unionized workers are less likely than non-unionized workers to struggle with paying bills, according to a study released today by Social Planning Toronto called The Union Advantage: Unions and the Response to Precarious Work Series. The study on precarious work underscores the need for meaningful improvements to employment and labour laws in…